Means for fabricating lath



i G. A. BUTTRESS MEANS FOR FABRICATING LATH Filed July 28', 1937 Patented Oct. 29, 1940 UNITED I STATES BEANS FOB FABRIQATIN G LATH George A. Buttress, Los Angeles, Calif assignor to Buttress Board Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application July as, 1931, Serial No. 156.134

2 Claims. (01. 154-1 This invention relates to a method and mechanism for manufacturing fabricated lath and 'has ,as its primary object the provision of a method and mechanism for producing sheet lath of the character set forth in my co-pending application for United States Letters Patent, Serial No. 137,960, filed April 20, 1937; and which lath is characterized by the embodiment of aseries'of hollow ribs formed of sheet fibrous material and 0 carried on a flexible backing sheet and including a sheet metal reinforcing strip arranged interiorally of the hollow ribs and afiordin'g a support for the outer or working surfaces of the ribs.

Another object of the invention is to provide a I machine of the above character which will oper ate to form a ribbon of paper, or similar fibrous material, with a series of parallel ribs and also to efiect'positioning of metallic strips within such ribs and the attachmentof a backing strip to the 0 ribbed strip in a fashion to produce a flexible ribbon of hollow lath, in an expeditious and economical manner. a

v Another object is to provide an eflective means in a mechanism of the above character for formmg the hollow ribs of dove-tail cross section.

A further object is to provide a method for forming hollow ribbed lath of sheet material to produce a corrugated flexible strip adapted to serve as a backing or lath for plaster and so 80 formed asto afford a substantial bond for the plaster. v

with the foregoing objects in view, together with such other objects and advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention is carried into 85 efiect as illustrated by way of example in theaccompanying drawing, in which: a

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view in perspective of the lath forming mechanism with the supporting frame ,work removed and with portions broken away; depictingthe method of producing a 1101:-

low ribbed lath;

. Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the manner, of initially forming a ribbon with corrugations preparatory to forming hollow ribs;

' Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the succeeding step of coating alternate corrugations with an adhesive;

Fig. 4 is a similar view depicting the manner of following that shown in Fig. 4; m which an adhesive is applied to wall portions of the strip in-.

I termediate alternate corrugations; Fig. 6 is a view showing the manner in which 'hesive to the outer faces of the roller l6 revolves.

the strip shown .in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 is worked to form the corrugations of dove-tail cross section Fig. Us a detail in section of the finished product showing the strip as illustrated in Fig. 6 applied to a'backing sheet to form a sheet of hollow I ribs.

- Referringto the drawing more specifically A indicates generally a mechanism for forming a metal reinforced corrugated fibrous strip as shown in Fig. 6, and B designates generally a l.

mechanismfor applying a backing sheet to the corrugated strip to produce the hollow ribbed. product shown. in Fig. '7. 1

The mechanism A embodies a horizontally extending endless belt .8 passing around a'pair of rollers 9 and Ill-with the upper lead of the belt passing over a platform ll.

Mounted on the outer face of the belt 8 is a series of-ribs I! which extend transversely of the belt in equi-spa'ced relationto each other. ranged above the roller 9 in close proximity thereto is a roller l4 formed with a series of equif spaced parallel channels l5'which extend longitudinally of the roller and are adapted to receive the ribs l2 on the belt 8 in a fashion to efi'e'ct 2i crimping of a ribbon C of paper or similar fibrous sheet material, which is fed between the roller l4 and belt 8 from a reel D. The ribbed belt 8 and grooved roller ll act to form the ribbon C with corrugations of rectangular cross sections including downwardly opening narrow corrugations a and upwardly opening wide corrugations 1:; the

walls of the corrugations a conforming to the ribs.-

I! while the bottom walls of the corrugationsb extend along the belt 8 between adjacent ribs I2. 88 i An adhesive applier E is provided for coating the upper surfaces of the bottom walls of the corrugations b .with an adhesive c as indicated in Fig.

.and to apply an adhesive coating throughout the horizontal portions of the corrugations overlying the belt 8; adhesive being delivered from a, hop- 45 per "3 between a pair'of distributor rollers I 9 and 20 which latter roller delivers a coating of the adribs IT as the A reinforcement applicator F is provided for 5 positioning metallic'strips d onto the adhesive coated surfaces 0 of the corrugations b as shown in Fig. 4, which applicator embodies a magazine 2| containing a stack of the metallic strips d.

The strips are in the form of channels and em- 55 cent the roller l6, and has a plurality of the ribs 22 arranged to extend into the corrugations b as the roller '23 revolves andthe ribbon C advances. A guard 24 partly encircles the roller 23 to retain the strips 11 on the carrier ribs 22 until the strips are pressed on the adhesive 0 in the corrugation 11.

A second adhesive applier G is provided which embodies an applicatorroller 25 extending trans- .versely of the belt 8 adjacent the roller ID in position to contact the upper surfaces of the corrugations a to apply a surface coat of adhesive f thereto as shown in Fig. 5. Adhesive is fed from a hopper 26 between the roller 25 and a distributor roller 21 to effect coating of the roller 25.

The mechanism B embodies a horizontally extending endless belt 28 which passes around and is carried by a pair of hexagonal rollers 28 and 38; the upper lead of the belt 28 passing over a table 3|. The roller 29 is disposed adjacent the roller ill but on a plane there-above so'that the corrugated ribbon C in passing from the belt 8 onto the belt 28 will lead at an upward inclination.

The belt 28 is fitted with a series of equi-spaced transversely extending ribs 32 of dove-tail cross section adapted to receive the corrugations a of the ribbon C as the latter leaves the belt 8 and adhesive applicator roller 25. Extending above the belt 28 is a second endless belt 33 carried on and passing around rollers 34 and 35, the lower lead of which belt 33 passes beneath a shoe 36 and overlies the ribbed ribbon C carried by the upper lead of the belt 28, and which belt 33 serves as a means for applying a flexible backing strip or sheet H from a reel J thereof onto the adhesive coated corrugations a of the ribbon C.

A hexagonal direction roller 31 is arranged ad- ;jacent the roller 35 over which the completed fabricated strip K is passed to reel, L or other suitable point of discharge.

In the operation of the invention the endless belts 8, 28 and 33, and the rollers 9, l8, l4, I6, 23

;and 25, and the rollers I9, 20, and 21, rollers 36 :respective reels D and J longitudinally through the machine.

As before stated, the ribbon C is initially formed with the rectangular corrugations a and b as shown in Fig. 2 by the roller I4 and ribbed belt 8,

a and adhesive cis applied to the bottom of the corrugations b as shown in Fig. 3, whereupon the metal reinforcing strips are applied by the roller 23 as shown in Fig. 4 and adhered to the outer wall of the corrugation b by the adhesive c. The

, adhesive 1 is then applied to the corrugations a as shown in Fig. 5 by the roller 25 andthe backing strip H is applied to adhere to the corrugation a to form a strip of hollow ribs L. I

A feature of the invention resides in upwardly advancing the corrugated strip C over the hexa gonal lead of the belt 28 passing around the hexagonal roller 23 so that the rectangular corrugations 11 will be engaged by the dove-tailed strips 32 on the belt 28 and be caused to conform to such ribs so as to convert the corrugations a and b into dove-tailed cross section as shown in Fig. 6, in which formation the corrugations a andbare retained on applying the backing sheet H to the adhesive j on the corrugations a to form the hollow ribs M, and the spaces N therebetween of dove-tail cross section as shown in Fig. '7.

It will be noted that on directing the corrugated strip C upwardly from the belt 8 around the roller 25, the rectangular corrugations a will be spread so as to permit ready entrance thereof of the corrugated ribs 32 and that thereafter on bringing the corrugated strip back to horizontal from the angular lead afforded by passing over the angular roller 29, the outer margins of the corrugations a will be brought closer together so as to produce the required dove-tailed crosssection of the corrugations. By leading the corrugated strip C upwardly from the belt 28 the dove-tail corrugations a are again spread to permit ready withdrawal therefrom of the corrugated rib 32. Said strip C will, however, possess sufiicientresiliency to cause its corrugations a to resume their dove-tail shapes after said ribs 32 have been withdrawn from them, and owing to these dove-tail shapes will, by their flatwise contact with the marginal flanges e of the metallic strips d, cooperate with the adhesive material in holding said metallic strips in place.

It will be seen from the foregoing that I have produced a method whereby a reinforced hollow strip may be readily produced in a continuous operation, the various mechanical means shown acting upon said strip simultaneously and in a right to left sequence as viewed in Fig. 1 of the drawing. I claim:

1. In a machine for fabricating hollow ribbed lath, a pair of rollers, means on said rollers for forming a ribbon of fibrous material initially passed between said rollers with transversely extending rectangular corrugations, a belt having exterior ribs spaced apart to successively interflt said corrugations for advancing the ribbon horizontally, means for advancing said ribbon in an upwardly arched manner to cause alternate corrugations thereof to spread at their outer margins, a belt having spaced ribs of dovetail cross section arranged to engage the spread corrugations, and a mounting for said belt arranged -to direct the corrugated ribbon horizontally after initial engagement of a rib therewith to impart a dove-tail shape to said corrugations.

The structure called for in claim 1, and

means for imparting a reversely arcuate movementto said ribbon to facilitate the withdrawal it-said dove-tailed ribs from .said corrugations after they have dove-tail shapes imparted to them.

GEORGE A. BU'ITRESS. 

